Saturday, 4 September 2010

4 Sept: Jacob & Joseph

The weather forecast was for very light wind in the morning gusting to Bft 4 in the afternoon. This is just the weather for new sailors to try their hand and the sport.

I was taking out Jacob (who can sail well) and Joseph (first time) and so as soon as we were off the shore I allowed Joseph to try his hand at the helm.

Meanwhile Jacob is sunning himself on the foredeck. It really is very very calm and a great start to the day.

There is nobody about at the club as there are races in Limassol today. Galini is heavy and it took all our effort to get her in the water - the pebbles are piling up on the slipway again.

First time at the helm is not easy: To steer the boat left you move the tiller right and to steer the boat right you move the rudder left.

First attempts for everyone tend to be a bit of a zig-zag course, but in these light winds its great to try your hand:

'No, these are ripples not waves!'

We sailed past a gas tanker - keeping our distance - she was flying a red danger flag from her port mast yardarm.

Then some wally in a 'self-drive' power boat careers round the bow of the tanker. I didn't even know you could rent 'self-drive' boats. It was painted in big letters along the side advertising, I suppose its fair warning really. I really think they ought to teach them the 'rules of the road' before letting them lose on the high seas.

Jacob took over the helm - the two of them were having fun and I was relaxing. I worked about 70 hours this week I think so relaxing is what I needed.

We chase a MacGregor and quickly overhaul her. She is pottering along and luffing her genoa badly.

'Jacob, you're luffing too!' (That's luffing not laughing)

Joseph is much better disciplined than Jacob and me, remembering to drink water in the hot summer sun and to put extra suncream on. Though our suncream was double the strength of Joseph's.

But... with no mirror to check his face, the suncream got into his eyes and we used up a couple of bottles of fresh water rinsing it out.

With the suncream gone from his eyes Joseph is back to having fun as we goose wing down towards the coast.

On the way we pass one of the glass bottom boats with people hanging out all along the side with fishing rods. Almost no chance of catching anything as these waters are very overfished.

As we pass they stop fishing for a few seconds to wave at us.

Then we are passed and we hove to and eat our lunch.

The wind has picked up during lunch - there are white horses on the wave crests and there are yelps of joy as we race up to 5 knots. Well... racing at 5 knots is not really high speed sailing.